Product Review: The Beer Olive

I had the opportunity to check out a new product from Brew Muse called a Beer Olive and review it for those of you who like to collect beer accessories. Bryce Bunkers, a Mechanical Engineer, is the guy behind it. He is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to build his initial inventory. The idea behind this product (also available in the shape of a hop cone) is to create active carbonation in your glass for the the entire time that you are enjoying your beer.

Basically, it borrows from the idea of etched glassware, but makes it portable. The Beer Olive is made of soapstone, which is food and dishwasher safe. You can get your own by making a pledge on the Kickstarter site. You can also have it personally engraved for a higher cost.

Here is a picture of the product itself—literally the size of a large olive.

The one immediate flaw that stood out was the choking hazard, so just be aware that it is in your glass at all times. The product was designed with a hole in the middle for this reason and does make a bit of noise in the glass so you are aware of its presence.

Here are my findings:

The beer I poured was a Paulaner Hefe-Weizen. As you can see the one on the left has the beer olive in it and has more head on it.

After 10 minutes you can see that the one on the left still has a slightly bigger head and the carbonation in the body of the beer is still present.

After 20 minutes the beer on the left still has more head on it (top view) although by this point the body had lost a bit of its carbonation.

After a half hour there was not much head to speak of in the glass on the left and the body was completely flat.

Positives:

It takes up far less space than a cupboard full of etched glasses.

The results that I got were very similar to those shown on the Kickstarter site.

It is a portable solution—plop this into a beer at the bar and it will remain carbonated throughout the time it takes you to drink it.

It is dishwasher safe and also very easy to clean by hand, for those without dishwashers.

It is aesthetically pleasing and rather fun to watch in the glass.

It will be cheaper than replacing an entire glass collection.

It is designed so that it won’t damage pint glasses.

Negatives:

It is a possible choking hazard given its size, so keep it out of the reach of children.

The production quality may vary since this is a new product and each olive or hop may not achieve the exact same performance.

I might be concerned about it breaking a thinner glass over many uses.

Overall:

This product is not necessarily a “must have,” but for many beer lovers it is an affordable alternative to replacing all of your glassware. I was a bit skeptical, yet intrigued when I was first made aware of the product. But, it performed like the site said it would, and it is certain to make a fun conversation piece when you have company. Personally, I see myself using it quite a bit due to the fact that I always pour my beer in a glass, and I like the aroma that a nice head produces. I would recommend it to anyone who does the same. Those who don’t pour their beer into a glass often, probably wouldn’t use it all that much.

If you’d like to support the project click here.But hurry, there is only about a week left on the campaign.

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Ryan Tuenge is an avid home brewer and craft beer lover who
is not afraid to spend his last $5 on a pint of beer at the local pub.
As a member of the Minnesota Home Brewers Association, Ryan has tried a wide variety of beers and has toured many of the local breweries. He also has a blog about craft beer in Minnesota. He likes to read, write and travel with his wife. Follow him on Twitter @lodgefather.